College Visit, MOU Signing Are Highlights of ASTM Staff Visit to Korea

James A. Thomas, ASTM International president, and Teresa Cendrowska, ASTM director for external relations, recently traveled to Seoul, Korea, where they represented ASTM International in a broad range of presentations, meetings and other events concerning standardization.

Thomas Speaks to Freshmen at Hanyang University

The trip began at Hanyang University’s Ansan campus. Thomas and Cendrowska visited with Dean of Engineering Si Tae Noh, toured new Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL) facilities, and learned about the University’s Education, Research, Industry Cluster at Ansan (ERICA), which is striving to create a public-private cooperative network among university, research and business stakeholders to produce innovative technology.

James Thomas, ASTM International president, speaks to students at the Ansan campus of Hanyang University.

The highlight of the visit to the Ansan campus was Thomas’ lecture to more than 550 freshman engineering, architecture and information technology majors in the Visions of Engineering class. Recognizing that these students, when they graduate, will enter an increasingly globalized world, Thomas’ lecture focused on the growing impact of standards in all aspects of business and engineering and also provided everyday examples of how standards touch the students’ lives.

The ASTM president had been invited to Hanyang University earlier this year by Si Tae Noh to speak on the topics of global trends in standardization and the role of engineers. The invitation had been delivered to Thomas by Chang Wook Kang, who teaches the Visions of Engineering class, during his visit to ASTM International in March. In addition to hearing Thomas’ lecture, students were provided with a booklet that contained his remarks translated to Korean, as well as a CD that included the complete presentation.

In addition to James Thomas, other speakers who have presented to the Visions of Engineering class this spring have included the CEO of Dell Korea, the deputy minister of energy, industry and commerce and the director of the Korean Defense Research Institute.

Global Standards Management Conference

During the two days following the Hanyang presentation, Thomas and Cendrowska represented ASTM International at the Global Standards Management Conference sponsored by the Korea Management Association Registrations and Assessments (KMAR) and Society of Korea Industrial and Systems Engineering (KSIE). More than 200 chief executive officers, industrial managers, quality managers, and representatives of government and academia attended the annual conference, which promotes the importance of global standards management systems in developing and sustaining corporate competitiveness.

Conference events included an awards ceremony, cosponsored by the Korea Management Association and KMAR, invited speaker sessions and workshops. Thomas presented two awards: the Great Prize of Quality Management to ELD, a construction company, and the Great Prize of Technology Management to HDR, a manufacturing company.

The conference keynote address, delivered by Thomas and titled “Business, Competition, and Growth: The Standards Advantage,” noted that in today’s business world where “technology is king and trade is global, the strategic use of international standards is a part of doing business, and standards developing organizations may have become the global company’s most important supplier.” Thomas noted how a competitive advantage could be gained by choosing and using standards that are market relevant and of high technical quality, reminding the participants of their responsibility to evaluate options and select the best standards available for their corporations and nation.

Laura Hitchcock, corporate project manager for external standards strategy for the Boeing Company, and member of the ASTM board of directors from 2001-2004, was an invited speaker for the opening day’s events. Her presentation, “Global Standards Management Systems  An Engine for Future Growth,” provided practical examples of Boeing’s experiences in developing and maintaining a standardization strategy. Hitchcock addressed various standardization strategy models for the aerospace industry, defined how the models meet today’s business challenges, identified the various forums for leading standardization strategy and outlined lessons learned.

James Thomas and Dr. Jang-Sop Han prepare to sign the Memorandum of Understanding between ASTM International and the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards.

Dr. Jang-Sop Han, director general, KATS Department of Technology and Standards Planning, Thomas, and staff and members of KATS and ASTM prepare to enjoy a celebratory lunch after the MOU signing.

On the second day of the conference, Cendrowska and Hitchcock collaborated to present a 2.5-hour workshop to representatives of industry, government and academia. The workshop addressed characteristics of ASTM International standards, an overview of ASTM’s technical committees and procedures, the benefits of partnership and various initiatives that ASTM is undertaking to ensure its continued position as a leading developer of global voluntary consensus standards.

Hitchcock brought to the workshop a valuable practical perspective on both the personal and professional benefits of participating in standards development. Significantly, this first-time training workshop provided the opportunity for questions and answers and information exchange between ASTM representatives and Korean stakeholders.

ASTM, KATS Sign Memorandum of Understanding

The three days of extensive activity in Seoul were capped by the signing of ASTM International’s memorandum of understanding with the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards. Thomas and Hye Won Kim, administrator, KATS, signed the MOU, which is the 47th that ASTM has signed with national standards bodies worldwide. Initiated in 2001, ASTM’s MOU program facilitates the development of national standards that will aid each country’s health, safety, environmental and economic conditions.

While in Seoul, Thomas was interviewed by the Maeil Business Newspaper, a leading Korean newspaper with a circulation of 920,000. The subsequent story greatly expanded the audience for the themes of international standardization that Thomas had been emphasizing during his presentations in Korea. //

On a recent visit to Beijing, China, ASTM International staff had the opportunity to meet with representatives of three standards organizations  the Standards Administration of China, the Research Institute for Standards and Norms, and the China National Standards Institute  to continue to build mutually beneficial relationships and exchange information.

Staff members from ASTM International, China Standards and Conformity Assessment and the Standards Administration of China take a break from their meeting to pose for a photo.

James Thomas, ASTM International president, and Teresa Cendrowska, ASTM director of external relations, were joined by China Standards and Conformity Assessment staff Chris Lanzit, executive director and Liu Fei, director of operations. ASTM International, ASME, the American Petroleum Institute and CSA-America are the four partner organizations in CSCA, which is headquartered in Beijing.

During the first meeting, which was with the Standards Administration of China, Thomas met Mr. Liu Pingjun, administrator, SAC, for the first time. The two discussed the goals and objectives each held for their respective organizations and found significant parallels. In outlining the standardization strategy for SAC, Mr. Liu stressed that China and its leaders have recognized the value and importance of standards and technological innovation; these have been addressed as key objectives during the National Peoples Congress in 2006.

A first-time meeting with Research Institute for Standards and Norms staff allowed for a useful information exchange.

Liu also noted that the eleventh five-year plan emphasizes standards development and that funds are being allocated to develop an on-line system that will facilitate China’s notification and consultation capabilities as required by the World Trade Organization  Technical Barriers to Trade document. The system will feature information for Chinese GB standards development, electronic documentation and on-line TBT information collection and reporting, a standards database of national, international and other standards, including the full text of the standards, and automation of the on-line availability and distribution of standards.

Another aspect of the on-line system will be a servicing system for the conduct of research on the development of standards, information on how China can develop international standards and a voting system for standards development. Thomas noted ASTM International’s support of SAC’s objectives and dynamic strategic plan.

James Thomas and Zheng Weihua, president, China National Institute of Standards.

Another first-time meeting occurred between ASTM International and the Research Institute for Standards and Norms (RISN), a nonprofit component of the Ministry of Construction. There Director General Wang Zhihong outlined RISN’s work to develop both national and industry standards for the construction sector and noted the overlap with ASTM standards within the sector. The meeting closed with both organizations agreeing to seek opportunities for collaboration.

The final meeting that took place occurred with the newly appointed president of the China National Institute of Standards (CNIS), Zheng Weihua, and other staff at CNIS. Thomas took the opportunity to congratulate Zheng on his appointment and to express ASTM’s interest in continuing the mutually beneficial relationship between the two organizations, established in 2002. The two organizations currently work together to facilitate training in China, promote technical expert membership in ASTM International and deliver product. Zheng indicated CNIS’ commitment to seeking new opportunities to continue the partnership.

Considering the meetings conducted and business discussed, and the establishment of new and strengthening of existing relationships, this trip was a significant success. //

Standards Researcher Visits ASTM International

Dr. Chaoyi Zhao, associate researcher at the China National Institute of Standardization, visited ASTM International in May to learn about how ASTM International standards are developed. Dr. Zhao was invited to the United States under the auspices of the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program. He is one of the primary drafters responsible for China’s standards development strategy and is leading a CNIS study evaluating the European standards system. //

ASTM Staff Join ANSI Delegation at COPANT Meeting

ASTM International staff members Teresa Cendrowska and Jessica Hychalk were part of a 12-member ANSI delegation that attended the Pan American Standards Commission (COPANT) Assembly meeting hosted by the Instituto Boliviano de Normalización y Calidad (IBNORCA) in La Paz, Bolivia, in April. ANSI President and CEO S. Joe Bhatia led the ANSI delegation in the week’s activities, his first regional standards meeting since his appointment at ANSI on Jan. 1. Two related workshops were held on April 25, one on the IECEE CB Scheme and the other on safety standardization.

In addition to Cendrowska, director of external relations, and Hychalk, manager, global cooperation, the ANSI Delegation to COPANT included representatives of ANSI, NEMA, Rockwell Automation, NFPA, ITS, HP, Siemens Communications and IBM. Guest presenters at this year’s meeting included Alan Bryden, secretary general, International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and Frank Kitzantides, vice president, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Both reported on the activities of relevance to the Americas region from those respective organizations. Dr. Bernardo Calzadilla-Sarmiento, secretary of the ISO Developing Country Committee (DEVCO), and a Bolivian native, also provided a report to the Assembly on ISO’s activities in DEVCO.

The annual COPANT meetings provide a unique opportunity to meet with the leaders and representatives of the standards bodies of 28 national standards bodies from the Americas. Individual ANSI delegation members and staff held multiple sidebar meetings and discussions that significantly furthered U.S. standardization and conformity assessment interests. The annual COPANT elections were held, the results of which provided a snapshot of intra-regional interests in the standardization sector. Peter Clark, executive director, Standards Council of Canada, was elected as president-elect of COPANT. He will serve as COPANT president from 2007-2009, beginning immediately following next year’s COPANT Assembly meeting. On the board of directors for the 2006-2008 term: the United States (ANSI) was reelected for North America and Jamaica (JBS) replaced Costa Rica (INTECO) for the Central America/Caribbean region. For South America, Argentina (IRAM) was reelected, and Bolivia (IBNORCA) was elected for the first time to the board of directors replacing Brazil (ABNT).

Of primary significance on this year’s agenda was a focus on continued implementation of the COPANT strategic plan, tracking of its implementation, and the establishment of its corresponding 2006-2007 strategic budget. High on the list of initiatives within the strategic plan are regional training and capacity building.

The 2007 COPANT Assembly will be held jointly with the 30th meeting of the Pacific Area Standard Congress (PASC) April 23-27, 2007, hosted by the Instituto Colombiano de Normas Técnicas y Certificación (ICONTEC) in Cartagena, Colombia. //

Delegation from Bureau of Indian Standards Received at ASTM International Headquarters

Representatives from the Bureau of Indian Standards and the Indian Ministry of Consumer Affairs visited ASTM International Headquarters in May. The purpose of their visit was to discuss closer cooperation with ASTM International and to learn more about ASTM standards for biotechnology. Participants in the meeting included from left, Dr. Bonnie Hames, chairman of ASTM Committee E48 on Biotechnology, Mr. Ganguly, Indian Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Mr. Rakesh Verma, additional director general of the Bureau of Indian Standards, and Jim Thomas, president of ASTM.